


Gentle Probing

by dezimaton



Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 10:48:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17343920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dezimaton/pseuds/dezimaton
Summary: Esper’s suit is a mystery. Mastermind decides to investigate.attempted stripping. bc of reasons





	1. Chapter 1

“Esper,” he mumbles without thought. Mastermind rests his head on Esper’s back, arms loosely wrapped around the time traveler’s thin frame. He closes his eyes and enjoys the simple comfort of being with another person. It’s nice, Mastermind thinks.  

Esper is busy scribbling down equations at the desk before them. They hadn’t moved from this spot for a good couple of hours, though not once had Esper acknowledged Mastermind’s presence. It was as though the scientist wasn’t there at all. He finally decides it’d been too long and tightens his hold around Esper’s waist, waiting for a response. Minutes pass. Despite the squeeze, Esper doesn’t even flinch. He continues poring over his formulas as he had been.

 

“It’s fine,” Mastermind repeats to himself. “He’s busy, so- it’s fine.” He shifts so he can bury his face into Esper’s feathery hair. The wisps tickle his nose. He smiles softly and breathes in slow, noting the time traveler’s scent, fragrant but with a bitter undertone. It reminds him of a tea they used to share.

 

They hadn’t sat down together in a long time. Ever since “Diabolic Esper” returned to their laboratory, Mastermind couldn’t help but notice that something had changed. Not only did he look different, but his personality had become irregular and more distant.

 

At first Mastermind thought that maybe some other person had returned in Time’s place, but no. He was sure this Esper was the Time he knew. He had the hidden marker Mastermind snuck onto his dynamos after all. Knowing that only hurt though. What could have happened to change Time so much? No matter how many times he asked, Esper would never answer his questions.

 

Then a thought struck. If Esper was so occupied by his formulas, would he notice if Mastermind decided to do some probing? Surely, he wouldn’t mind. Would he?

 

Without further thought, Mastermind lets his fingers slide down the seemingly endless suit that adorned Esper’s body. It didn’t feel like metal, but it didn’t feel like cloth either. The material was stiff and thick, like a protective suit ought to be, but it was also flexible enough to allow movement.  Mastermind pinches some of the material around the waist area. As expected, the material flexes and bunches up between his fingers. His fingers wander from Esper’s sides, following the edge of his chest plate. The bottom edge of it was firmly sealed to the next plate, much to Mastermind’s dismay. He continues feeling lower, past two more plates, both as securely fastened to Esper’s body as the last. The suit couldn’t possibly be endless. Where was its seam?

 

Undaunted, Mastermind continues to feel downward when suddenly Esper grasps his left wrist. “What are you doing?”

 

Mastermind freezes. He hadn’t thought this out. What was he doing? “I…” he starts, trying to find the right excuse. At a complete loss for what to say, Mastermind presses his mouth into a thin line. There was no reasonable excuse for this. 

 

Esper smirks in understanding and grinds against Mastermind. The scientist inhales sharply and scrambles to distance himself from Esper, only to realize he’s tightly caught between Esper and the back of the chair. There was no escape. 

 

Esper takes the opportunity to spin around and straddle his lap on the chair, a dark grin across his face. “Looking for something?” the time traveler teases, shoving his face uncomfortably close to his alternate’s. Mastermind stutters and pulls back as much as the chair would let him, his face already heating up. Now that he had Esper’s attention, Mastermind wasn’t sure he wanted it anymore. 

 

Esper laughs, drinking in Mastermind’s flustered expression. He loops his lithe arms around Mastermind’s neck, tangling his fingers in the silky ponytail. “Do you want to find out?” he whispers.

 

Before Mastermind could answer, Esper leans backwards with the entire weight of his entire body. The two of them tip towards the table before Esper opens a portal behind himself. Mastermind’s eyes grow wide. He struggles to avoid falling into the portal to who knows where, but it was too late. Esper’s grip is strong and he tumbles through.

 

They land on something soft, and when Mastermind sits up and reorients himself he realizes they’re on his bed. Esper is lounging flat on the sheets, looking at him with a devious glint. “Go ahead, I’ll give you five minutes free.” He smiles cheekily, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. Mastermind swallows. How could this happen? He couldn’t deny that he was curious, but this was far from what he wanted.

 

“Can’t you just tell me?” he asks, a tad annoyed.

 

“Oh, heavens no. That’s no fun at all,” Esper chuckles. “I can stay still for five minutes though. You can do whatever you want and I promise I won’t struggle.”

 

Mastermind pouts. “If you’re so confident, at least give me a hint.”

 

Esper’s smile only grows wider. “Tick tock~”

 

“Nevermind,” Mastermind groans. “Take off your coat Esper,” he commands. If the chest plates were tightly sealed, the next logical spot would be the back. Probably.

 

The time traveler doesn’t stir. “Take off your coat,” Mastermind repeats again, this time louder.

 

“I can’t do that,” Esper chimes. “You’ll have to do it if you want it off,” he continues, face still plastered with that teasing grin. God, Mastermind wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face. He huffs and gingerly reaches for the edges of Esper’s top coat.

 

Mastermind grasps the fabric for the first time. It’s a lot softer than he imagined, almost like a windbreaker jacket. As promised, Esper doesn’t stir. The self-satisfied asshole does glance down to follow Mastermind’s hands before glancing back up to meet his eyes. Mastermind looks away, blushing as he peels the fabric outwards and away to reveal Esper’s thin arms. Mastermind is relieved to see that both arms were intact, something that he couldn’t confirm until now because Esper never took off his suit. He tosses the useless jacket away from the bed.

 

The top chest plate is a part of a sleeveless vest that holds tight to Esper’s body. Despite having the jacket out of the way, Mastermind is no closer to figuring out where the seam is. “Two minutes remaining,” sings Esper.

 

Maybe on the back? Mastermind crawls off of Esper so that he can turn the time traveler on his side. Disappointingly, the fabric across Esper’s back is likewise seamless. It’s smooth and skin tight like the rest of the suit, revealing the contours of his back muscles.

 

He flips Esper back to his previous position, lying flat and seats himself on the time traveler’s legs once again. “One minute remaining,” announces Esper. Mastermind was quickly running out of time. He frantically feels around the smaller plates at Esper’s waist. They are just as firmly sealed to the rest of the suit as the chest plates. Was there truly a seam somewhere? Or was this just a wild goose chase for nothing? Honestly, just fuck Esper for leading him on like this.

 

Mastermind spins around to face Esper’s boots. An unlikely spot, but he was running out of places to search. Before he could start anew, Mastermind hears the soft creak of Esper getting up off the bed and the warmth of the time traveler’s breath tickling his ear. “Time’s up,” Esper whispers, a little too close for comfort. Mastermind feels two hands wiggle their way under the edges of his coat, pressing against his sides.

 

“Are you ready to give up?” He asks cheekily. Even though Mastermind couldn’t see it, he just knew Esper had that same self-satisfied grin he’d worn since they began this dumb game.

 

“No.” Mastermind clenches his fists, trying to ignore the tickling sensation of Esper’s hands wandering up his sides.

 

“Good, then keep going.” Esper answers, a little too happy. A voice of reason whispers to Mastermind that he should stop here before it was too late, but his pride wouldn’t let him. He just couldn’t let Esper best him, even if the setup was against him in the first place. He huffs and turns Esper’s boots around, looking for anything that could help him figure out how the suit worked.

 

With a strong tug, Mastermind feels cold air on the back of his neck as Esper tugs his coat off. “What are you doing?” Mastermind blubbers.

 

“You only get five minutes for free, so now it’s my turn to play too.” Esper wiggles his gloved fingers at Mastermind. Annoyed, the scientist grabs one of Esper’s wrists and in one liquid motion tugs the glove off and flings it far away from the bed.

 

Esper gasps, momentarily surprised. Mastermind smirks, now that’s the expression he’s looking for. He tugs the other one off too before Esper has time to recover. “Well then,” the time traveler mumbles. “Two points for Mastermind?” he recomposes himself and smiles once again.

 

Mastermind grumbles and turns away from Esper. He feels the fingers back again, this time loosening and undoing his tie, but Mastermind doesn’t care. There’s an odd purple glow to the two spots on the front face of Esper’s boots, so he tentatively presses them. The boots whirr for a moment, but otherwise do not respond. He must be missing something.

 

When he turns his attention back to the prying fingers at his sides, both his tie and vest have been removed and tossed out of the way. Esper snickers as he tugs at the last remaining article of clothing, Mastermind’s undershirt.

 

The scientist reaches to grasp Esper’s hands to prevent them from pulling the undershirt off, but it is a moment too late. Esper undoes the final button and off it goes. All layers removed, Esper tugs the set of undershirt, vest, and jacket backwards off of Mastermind’s arms.

 

“And that’s three points for me.” Esper smiles. “Ready to give up?”

 

“No!” Mastermind blurts. He felt so close to figuring it out. Even though he’d lost his tops, he just couldn’t give up. Not yet.

 

Esper gently holds both his hands, as though about to tell him something important. He nods his head, motioning for Mastermind to lean in. Curious, the scientist moves closer and turns his ear to face Esper.  

 

“Did you really think I’d tell you something important?” He whispers under his breath before licking the shell of Mastermind’s ear, so conveniently placed near his mouth. Mastermind recoils and Esper takes the opportunity to tug off both of the scientist’s white gloves, cackling all the while.

 

Esper leans in again to trace the edge of Mastermind’s pants with his fingers, “Ready to give up now?” He teases with that same devious grin.

 

Mastermind bites his lip and grasps both of Esper’s wrists, preventing him from going further. He sighs. “Yes,” Mastermind answers reluctantly. Five minutes and a couple extra granted by all the layers he wore, but still no answer. At this point, he didn’t have many more layers to sacrifice, so it was about time to cut his losses and stop.

 

“Good, ” answers Esper. He releases Mastermind, allowing his alternate to start picking up the scattered pieces of clothing he had tossed away.

 

“That was fun, we should do this again sometime!”

 

Mastermind only glares at Esper. Never again.


	2. Revenge is Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mastermind gets back at Esper for last time.

Sunlight shines through the window, illuminating a man dressed in pure white. The outline of his body is obscured by a warm glow, pristine white hair and clothing scattering light into the dim room. A serene peace blesses the place, silence broken only by a barely audible rustle of film, a set of white gloves rifling through the stack of x-ray prints, alternating sheets one by one under the revealing sunlight. Half way through the stack, a satisfied smile graces his face.

 

“Ah. So that’s how it works,” Mastermind mutters, his smile widening into a grin. He’s going to enjoy this.

* * *

 

“Es,” Mastermind mumbles into the time traveler’s back for the hundredth time. He rests his face against the cold metal back-plate and closes his eyes, relaxed. Esper is working on his time travel equations, so almost naturally Mastermind joins him at his desk. It’s become their ritual of sorts. Mastermind first sits in Esper’s work chair, refusing to move. Esper, not caring whether he sits upon chair or Mastermind’s legs, plops down afterwards, putting Mastermind in the perfect position to hold the time traveler from behind. It takes some getting used to, but eventually both of them settle into the arrangement, wordlessly repeating the regimen.

 

For the first couple hours, Mastermind calmly holds Esper as he always does, arms looped around his waist, fingers caressing his sides. Mastermind simply enjoys having company. Embracing the time traveler fills his chest with warmth. Not that he’d ever admit it, but it was something he didn’t know he had missed until he had it once again.

 

His alternate had bested him the last time he tried to figure out the goddamn suit. Today though, today would be his day. He had done his research and thought out every detail to ensure the time traveler wouldn’t suspect a thing. Like usual, Mastermind dozes off, twirls Esper’s hair around his index finger, and other small pesterings. Esper scribbles equations on one too many sheets of paper, oblivious. The atmosphere is calm and everything proceeds as planned.

 

When the clock strikes twelve, Mastermind decides it is time. In a practiced motion, the scientist lets his fingers slip out of their embrace, feeling across Esper’s suit. He presses the pads of his fingers into the cracks between the plates, as though searching for some sort of switch. In an instant, Mastermind’s roaming hands are seized by a set of black gloved ones. All according to plan. Mastermind smirks, thankful that Esper can’t see his face at this angle.

 

“Getting touchy are we?” Esper asks, voice dancing with a note of amusement.

 

Mastermind forces the grin off his face because Esper soon spins around in his seat to press up against him. The scientist squirms, but Esper is inescapable. His arms reach up to cradle Mastermind’s head and the time traveler meets his gaze with half-lidded eyes, lip twisted up into a smirk. “Don’t think I don’t realize what you’re doing. Are you looking to start round two?”

 

The scientist doesn’t get the chance to answer because a loud crack fills the room and he feels a sudden draft backwards, the air around him rushing into some vacuous opening behind him. He can’t help but yelp in surprise when Esper nudges him off balance into the hole.

 

The two tumble through time-space for a dizzying couple of seconds before they reach the other side. Mastermind exhales a sigh of relief when he feels the soft mattress against his back, bed protesting loudly at the sudden weight. With Esper tangled around him, he can hardly move. Not ideal, but it’s good enough, Mastermind muses. Just a couple more moves before checkmate.

 

The time traveler untangles their legs in favor of shifting Mastermind to a sitting position on top of him, comfortably seated over his stomach. Mastermind swallows. He feels his face redden at Esper’s gentle touches and the devious smile on the time traveler’s face.

 

“Alright, you know the rules, or lack thereof,” Esper giggles below him. “We start-” his voice trails off as he turns to read the clock on the night stand.

 

“Wait,” Mastermind interrupts with a pout, “I- I couldn’t figure out anything last time. Can I get a couple minutes more?”

 

Esper narrows his eyes and Mastermind’s heart speeds up like nobody’s business. _Please Please Please Please Please let him say yes_ , Mastermind prays to himself, his eyes wide and begging. After what seems like an eternity of silence, Esper relaxes and gives Mastermind a small smile, nodding yes. “Alright. I suppose you could have ten minutes this time. Do you really think it’s going to matter?” He smirks and tents his fingers with glee.

 

Mastermind’s face lights up and he smiles as genuinely as he can. He fights so hard to not grin or otherwise tip Esper off, blubbering out a rushed “thank you” while covering his flushed face with his hands. Mastermind pulls a small kitchen timer from his pocket, holding up the cat-eared mechanism for the time traveler to see.

 

Esper eyes the timer with interest. “A cat timer? How very like you,” he snickers.

 

“Sh- shut up,” Mastermind stutters, averting his eyes.

 

Esper hums cheerily and leans back into the comforter. “Well, I’m all yours.”

 

All pieces are in place: checkmate. Mastermind has Esper right where he wants. The scientist cracks his knuckles and finally allows the grin he was blossom across his face. “Then I better not keep you waiting,” he whispered, smiling so wide you could count his perfect white teeth.

 

Esper shivers unconsciously. Mastermind slides his hands up the time traveler’s sides, ghosting over his thin arms before settling on the black gloves protecting his hands. Mastermind doesn’t miss the slight twitch of Esper’s lip and the skip of his breath when he entwines their fingers, clearly on the right track. It’s almost cute how much his alternate tries to keep his cool. Mastermind is so very close to making the first right step right from the start and from the look in his eyes, Esper is starting to have second thoughts about the extra minutes.

 

Without mercy, Mastermind rips both gloves off and tosses them aside, relishing in the soft gasp that escapes from Esper. He licks his lips, leaning in to whisper into his alternate’s ear, “Did you really think I came unprepared?”

 

Sitting back up, Mastermind gently guides the ungloved hands downwards. He watches the time traveler’s face the entire time, and oh is it worth it watching that once smug smile melt into horror. His expression is simply delicious. Mastermind’s heart races with excitement. Serves the asshole right for toying with him last time. This time is his turn to tease and he intends to make Esper repay him in full.

 

Mastermind presses Esper’s exposed fingertips against one of the magenta diamonds decorating his boots. The suit whirrs to life, humming briefly before the plates click open, releasing a gust of air as the inside depressurizes. Success. Mastermind was brilliant after all; given enough time, no problem was unsolvable. He hums with pride and gives himself a mental pat on the back before turning his attention back to Esper. 

 

No longer tightly sealed, the boots peels off with ease. Mastermind flings the useless articles over his shoulder and leans over his alternate, his face shadowed by the light behind them, magenta eyes glimmering dangerously as they stare straight into Esper’s.

 

Esper is frantic now. Mastermind knows. The time traveler glances to the side at the cat timer, which ticks just past eight minutes. He curses himself for not noticing sooner, although Mastermind is a sly plotting bastard. Everything felt like it was going smoothly until moments ago. How long before Mastermind strips the rest of his suit from him? Surely the scientist isn’t going to accept a surrender or apology, if the dark grin is anything to judge by. Esper gulps audibly and steels himself for what is to come. 

 

Mastermind leans in to nibble at Esper’s neck, methodically loosening the remaining suit pieces while the time traveler is distracted. Esper gasps and squirms underneath the scientist’s weight, especially when Mastermind gets the brilliant idea to lick a long wet streak up to his ear. The scientist slowly traces the shell of his ear with his tongue, earning a strained whine and rasping gulps of air from his alternate.

 

When Mastermind pulls away, Esper is a mess. His face is beet red, the coloration reaching even his ears. The time traveler’s chest heaves erratically, regular breath lost to all the gasps, squeaks, and moans that Mastermind had coaxed out of him. The scientist can’t help but think he’s beautiful, like a work of art: _his_ work of art. 

 

Most of Esper’s suit pieces are in an unruly pile on the floor at this poit, though there remains only one section, the most important one: his crotch-plate. When Mastermind’s gloved hand snakes down to peel it away, the time traveler shifts backwards away from the prying fingers. Mastermind’s eyes narrow, but his amused grin only widens. It’s almost cute how Esper thinks he can still escape this. The tables have turned since last time and it feels so satisfying to be the one in control. Unlike Esper though, Mastermind doesn’t intend to stop just yet.

 

The scientist hums, “uh uh uh,” wiggling his finger side to side. “I still have 5 more minutes. No struggling remember?” Mastermind’s face falls into shadow as he leans forwards again towards Esper’s, his expression positively filthy. 

 

Esper’s eyes widen and he gasps when Mastermind starts to lick at his lips. The scientist takes the opportunity to slip his tongue in, drawing a long moan from the time traveler which he feels fully through their interlocked mouths. Esper relaxes and closes his eyes, giving Mastermind the opportunity to lift and tug off the final offending suit piece. It lands in the pile with a satisfying clink unheard by either of them, both too engrossed to notice. 

 

The time traveler breaks away when his alternate’s delicate fingertips ghost over the sensitive skin of his inner thigh and gently curl around his length. There’s a fine thread of saliva joining their still open mouths, both their chests heaving unevenly for breath. Esper nervously glances between Mastermind’s smug face and the fingers encircling his half-hard member, as though asking _are you really going to do this?_ To answer, Mastermind licks his lips and smiles. 

 

It takes only a couple firm pumps to get Esper to full hardness, the flushed tip leaking a steady stream of what appeared to be dark syrupy precum. The black color and way it drips so slow in thick gobs sends a shiver up Mastermind’s spine. Whether the sensation is disgust or arousal doesn’t matter. The scientist’s face heats up all the same. A part of him wants to retract his hand before the substance soaks through his already soiled gloves, but the way that Esper’s fingers clench at the bedsheets and the trickle of dark saliva from one corner of his mouth is more than enough to convince him otherwise. 

 

In the heat of the moment Mastermind swipes his thumb over the glob forming at the tip. Esper cries out and bucks violently in response. He must’ve liked that, Mastermind muses. The fluid eases his strokes as he pumps the time traveler at a teasing pace, making obscene squishing noises with every movement, while his alternate’s moans grow in frequency and pitch. The time traveler’s entire body shudders with pleasure, twitching becoming more pronounced as he loses himself in the sensation. Esper swears he sees stars in his eyes, almost over the edge when-

 

“Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!” They both freeze as the cat timer goes off. It vibrates across the table, filling the room with its obnoxious dinging. Two sets of eyes watch it in shock as the timer travels closer and closer to the edge until it falls clean off the nightstand, silencing itself on the floor. 

 

“Oh,” Mastermind hums as he releases Esper. “Time’s up.”

 

The time traveler protests at the sudden loss of contact and looks up at Mastermind longingly, unmoving on the bed sheets.

 

The scientist smirks and turns away as though to leave, “I suppose you’re free now. I’ll let you collect your belongin-”

 

“WAIT!” Esper gasps out. 

 

“Oh?,” hums Mastermind as he turns back with a knowing smile. The time traveler curses under his breath and bites his lip, clearly unhappy with the words he wants to say. 

 

“Do you want something?” Mastermind whispers, very much egging him on now.

 

Esper inhales and exhales to recompose himself before he spits out the words, “Fucking finish what you started.”

 

Mastermind eyes twinkle, “with that tone I don’t think I will.”

 

Esper whines out his name, “Masterminddddddddd.”

 

The scientist’s smile only widens, “yes, Esper?”

 

The time traveler stares forwards with a blank expression and after what was probably a tough internal battle, he weakly whispers, “Please- Please finish me off.”

 

Those are the words Mastermind was just dying to hear. Perfect. “Well, if you say so,” he practically sings. The scientist decides he wants to try something a little different, given how pliable Esper was right now. His alternate lay bare in front of him, splayed open with his vulnerable spots completely unprotected. 

 

He repositions himself on the floor in front of the bed and licks his lips. Esper’s cock is coated with a glistening coat of half-translucent precum, globs of the dark fluid beading at the tip. It looks simply obscene and the color gives Mastermind a feeling of both disgust and excitement, though he can’t deny that he’s aroused and deep down somewhere he wants it. Mastermind exhales, allowing his breath to tickle past. That’s when Esper realizes, tentatively uttering the scientist’s name, “Mastermi-”  

 

But he’s cut off when a set of lips encircle the head of his arousal. 

 

The bead of precum melts on Mastermind’s tongue, having a similar taste to Esper’s saliva except more bitter. He sucks harshly to get Esper started again after the long reprieve, the time traveler cursing loudly, “Fuck fuck fu c k f u c k. Mastermind, you- fucK.” 

 

In no time, the Esper is again reduced to a gasping mess as Mastermind alternates between swirling the flat of his tongue across the tip, pressing his tongue into the slit, and exploring the edge of the foreskin. His free hands squeeze and rub the rest of his length. Esper mutters a stream of profanities, voice cracking right before he hurriedly yells out, “I’m coming,” to give the scientist time to react. Mastermind hums in acknowledgment and with a final strong pull that’s it for him. Esper arches his back and releases with a loud yelp. 

 

Mastermind pulls off with a slick pop, tongue hanging out of his mouth and dripping with Esper’s dark fluids. He lets the excess dribble down his chin and leans in to kiss the time traveler, giving him a full taste of himself. Their tongues mingle briefly before Mastermind pulls away to wipe his mouth off with the back of his glove. He chuckles. “That was fun, we should do this again sometime,” with a sly smile.

 

Esper stares at Mastermind, too exhausted to glare. Never again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naming conventions: (Mastermind/Scientist) (Diabolic Esper/Time Traveler)
> 
> Author’s Note: Perhaps a better title for this would be “Revenge is Bitter.” But it just doesn’t have the same ring to it, so let’s not get too specific.

**Author's Note:**

> Naming conventions: (Mastermind/Scientist) (Diabolic Esper/Time Traveler)
> 
> Author’s Note: A tentative experiment with present tense. I would’ve corrected everything to be past tense just to be safe, but it just doesn’t read the same(?) honestlyidontknowwhati’mdoingjusttakethisandleavemebe


End file.
